As my pins have improved I’ve found that my submission skills have also improved. When I have a person pinned I can take my time and set up any submission I want to go for and make it work. Without the pin I am resigned to trying to “catch” the submission as it becomes available, if your opponent has a good flow then it can be like trying to catch water sometimes. With the pin I also have the ability to take their breath away and tire them out for a longer battle. I think the pin is often under appreciated by grapplers.

Without the pin I am resigned to trying to “catch” the submission as it becomes available, if your opponent has a good flow then it can be like trying to catch water sometimes. With the pin I also have the ability to take their breath away and tire them out for a longer battle. I think the pin is often under appreciated by grapplers.

This is a good example of why my submission hunting is a little bit of a bad habit.

I wouldn't say submission hunting... I mean what ever you do, you make them move/react in a way that they expose themselves in one way or another and then you capitalize on it. While JJ and Judo tend to focus on doing this in a stabilized position/fashion other grappling arts, such as Sambo for instance, see the big focus on those transitions and how you can capitalize. It doesn't mean that one way is better than the other, it is just a different approach.
Or to paint that point more drastically, is the guy who is submitting you from bottom/guard worse than the guy who gets you in his sidemount but then doesn't do anything with it? Different point of view...

I wouldn't say submission hunting... I mean what ever you do, you make them move/react in a way that they expose themselves in one way or another and then you capitalize on it. While JJ and Judo tend to focus on doing this in a stabilized position/fashion other grappling arts, such as Sambo for instance, see the big focus on those transitions and how you can capitalize. It doesn't mean that one way is better than the other, it is just a different approach.
Or to paint that point more drastically, is the guy who is submitting you from bottom/guard worse than the guy who gets you in his sidemount but then doesn't do anything with it? Different point of view...

Right. By submission hunting I am more talking about trying for submissions when you barely have control and ending up with neither position nor submission. I tend to do that. I think looking for subs is great (hence my bad habit) and creating them is even more impressive a skill, but position before submission (even if you only have full control of the position for a second of two before you go for the sub) seems to permeate all grappling arts to some degree.

Yah, this. In a combative/mma situation, just pound his face in if necessary. I frequently have a hand free when pinning, and with that hand I can punch conservatively and maintain my pin. Now those low power short punches might not mean much if I land just one, but if I can maintain the pin, I can land hundreds. Either beat the guy to a pulp, or let a few little shots set up a proper submission.

One thing I found playing BJJ players (lower level players at least. I get my ass kicked by multi-stripe blues all the time) is that they don't know what to do when they are pinned. My favourite osaekomi is kesa gatame. Being a big fat ass, I normally put enough compression on my uke's chest that they tap because they can't breathe. If that doesn't work, I start working on an armbar while maintaining kesa.

Originally Posted by Holy Moment

BJJ JOE: I'm going to make hate to you. Right here, right now. ... Ohhhhhhhh, I'm going to make hate to you so hard that your kinfolk back in Africa will feel it.l

Yah, this. In a combative/mma situation, just pound his face in if necessary. I frequently have a hand free when pinning, and with that hand I can punch conservatively and maintain my pin. Now those low power short punches might not mean much if I land just one, but if I can maintain the pin, I can land hundreds. Either beat the guy to a pulp, or let a few little shots set up a proper submission.

As a side note to that if the guy on the bottom cannot intelegently defend himself then you win. I a lower level mma he cant get his hands up to protect his face he is done.

Originally Posted by RynoGreene

Yah, this. In a combative/mma situation, just pound his face in if necessary. I frequently have a hand free when pinning, and with that hand I can punch conservatively and maintain my pin. Now those low power short punches might not mean much if I land just one, but if I can maintain the pin, I can land hundreds. Either beat the guy to a pulp, or let a few little shots set up a proper submission.

As a side note to that if the guy on the bottom cannot intelegently defend himself then you win. I a lower level mma he cant get his hands up to protect his face he is done.